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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Well, I did it! I posted something to this blog every single day this month! I've tried to accomplish this goal many times before, but have fallen miserably short every time. But I finally did it! Yayyy Me!

I've had a lot of fun this month and have found out some interesting things. I've also found out some of what people like to read about. I've also enjoyed the writing prompts. I hope you've enjoyed this past month of blog posts from my little corner of the globe as well.

Here's to June 2012 and a great learning experience... And here's to hopefully another month in July full of fun and interesting posts again.

Friday, June 29, 2012

So, I was doing my usual surfing around, looked up something on YouTube, and you know how they have the "similar suggestions" along the right hand side for other videos, right? Well, I saw a few old videos of tv show intros that I used to watch when I was a kid growing up in the 70's & 80's. This got me in a completely nostalgic mood and I began looking up a bunch of my favs from back then.

It's amazing how I'd forgotten about so many of these shows that had shaped me into the person I am today. I do think that we've lost some of the good wholesome ideals that shows back then held... but I'm so glad we have better graphics and special effects now! Wow, back then, we used to think some of these were so "high tech" in the ways of special effects because they were so ground-breaking! Take Land of the Lost for example. The raft going down the rapids... this was really cool back then, but now? Totally stupid looking! But it opened a new realm of imagination for me.

The Big Blue Marble was a fun and wonderful educational show that made me want to explore the world... although unfortunately, I still have never been outside the country, I have always had a love of travel and learning that I contribute to this show.

I only hope that the shows that my son watches now are as educational and that they make as big of an impact on him as my favorite shows did for me.

Anyway, I just had to share some of my finds with you. It all started with The Big Blue Marble....

Well, there you have it. A walk down my memory lane. There are many others, but these are the ones that stand out for me. I'm sure I'll remember a few more and when I do, I'll try to add them to this list. But for now, enjoy the overabundance of cheesy good stuff!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

What do childhood rhymes even mean? Write something that includes a rhyme you used to sing or say when you were a child.

This was an interesting subject and I'm just going to write about the first part of the prompt, What do childhood rhymes even mean? I've found myself revisiting the rhymes of my own childhood now that I'm a mother and I'm sharing them with my son now. And now that I'm older, I'm realizing that many of them make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Take one of the first ones I can remember learning...

Ring around the rosies

A pocketful of posies

Ashes ashes

We all fall down

One of the possibilities for this rhyme (that is a bit controversial) is the plague that happened in England in 1665. People supposedly carried pocketfuls of "posies" to ward off the smell of the plague (probably the smell of death) and the ashes would represent the burned bodies. Of course, "we all fall down" is all the people lying down when they died.

This seems the most probable explanation, because otherwise, if you ask me, it doesn't make any sense. Ok, so you're all in a circle around some roses, you put some in your pocket, but then what? You burn them? Something else burns? Where do the ashes come from? And why does everyone fall down? I remember having fun falling down, but why? Strange that we all used to find this so entertaining when the possibility of what it means is so devastating. (Yes, I'm weird.)

And then there's a favorite sung by mothers everywhere...

Hush-a-by baby

On the tree top,

When the wind blows

The cradle will rock.

When the bough breaks,

The cradle will fall,

And down will fall baby

Cradle and all.

What a terrible song! The baby falls and crashes to the ground?! What irresponsible parent would place their baby, unsecured, in a tree (or anywhere else for that matter) where they could easily fall and get hurt... or worse?! Even though I've found myself singing this to my son when he was first born, I actually stopped it because it just seemed a little freaky to me.

This old man, he played one,

He played knick-knack on my thumb;

With a knick-knack paddywhack,

Give the dog a bone,

This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played two,

He played knick-knack on my shoe;

With a knick-knack paddywhack,

Give the dog a bone,

This old man came rolling home.

(and it continues...)

Three=on my knee

Four= on my door

Five=on my hive

Six=on my sticks

Seven=up in Heaven

Eight=on my gate

Nine=on my spine

Ten=on my pen

This one really gets me... What the heck is a paddywhack? Well, apparently, it means a mean person, or more accurately, a Brawny Irishman, which is a derogatory term (although I don't know why that's derogatory, but maybe to people from Ireland, it is. I honestly don't know.) And in the 70's, it was changed to patty-whack to keep from being the derogatory word. What difference that made, I'm not sure. Honestly, I don't think that's what it meant, anyway. I mean, a knick knack mean person? A knick knack brawny Irishman? Neither of those make any sense to me. And what does any of that have to do with giving the dog a bone? That line seems to just come out of nowhere. And then the old man rolls home? What, is he drunk and can't walk home? Does he fall down a hill and roll home? Totally weird.

I did find that this song actually got a lot of publicity from being in a film called The Inn of the Sixth Happiness. I immediately looked it up and watched it. It was a decent movie. The ending kind of left me wanting closure that I didn't really get. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. Even though I like Ingrid Bergman, I don't think she was the right person for the part. I think she was too pretty for it. It called for a more plain girl who was smaller in stature, more petite. She did a wonderful acting job on it, she just didn't have the right "look" for the movie, in my humble opinion. And what bothers me about it is the fact that they were supposedly speaking in Chinese (although the movie is in English, in order to avoid subtitles) yet the children sing this song. Did she teach them English? No, I don't think so. I also doubt that the translation would keep the rhyme with it.

But I digress....

There are so many other nursery rhymes that I used to sing as a kid, but that never really made any sense to me. Well, I suppose, as a child, they made sense... or we just didn't care about the logic behind them. They were fun to play/act out and that's what mattered. As adults, we tend to lose that child-like wonder and world of imagination. Maybe being a mother now, and teaching these to my son, will help me to capture that innocence again and learn to just enjoy life and not boggle myself down with the details... a trait that has become a big part of me, but has also gotten me into trouble a few times as well.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

So, back at the beginning of the month, there was a writing prompt for To-Do lists for June. I just have to say, I have such delusions of grandeur. I knocked out #10 right away, but now it's almost the end of the month and I find that #8 (post to blog every day) is the only other one I actually have been accomplishing. I still have a few days to go, and I'm quite proud of myself, as this is the first time I've been able to keep up with the blog on a daily basis, but for that to be the only other task completed is a bit disappointing.

Ah, well, at least I'll be able to knock off two items off my list and carry over eight into July, I suppose. Two's better than none. Let's see if I get anymore of it done next month.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sorry I don't have any pics to go along with this just yet. I always forget to take pics when I cook. I'll try to take some the next time I make this. I will be adding this to my recipe page. Yes, I know it's summer time, but comfort food (and I consider chili under this category) is good anytime of the year, in my opinion.

I wish I could remember how my mother made chili. Hers was the BEST! I've tried, but just can't seem to get it right. I've only made two recipes "just like Mom's" and that's her pumpkin pie and her spaghetti sauce. I'm pretty good with her chicken soup too. But as for this chili recipe, it's still a work in progress, but still a winner with my family. Hubby, Big Bubby and Little Man all love it and I hope you will too. Let me know how yours turns out.

Kellie’s Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1-2 onions, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder (more
or less to taste)

2 teaspoons salt

1-2 stalks of celery chopped fine (my kids will tend to eat it if the celery is hard to pick out, so the smaller the better if you have picky kids)

1-2 carrots chopped fine

4 cans stewed tomatoes with liquid (I try to crush them up so the pieces aren't so big, but that's a personal preference)

1 can tomato sauce

1-2 can(s) kidney beans with
liquid (you can use different beans for a variety, I’ve used red kidney,
black, and northern beans all together)

Beef or chicken stock (optional
for a slightly thinner chili)

Directions:

Combine ground beef, onion,
and garlic in large stockpot. Cook and stir over medium heat until beef is
brown then drain off the fat. Stir in
chili powder, salt, tomatoes, and tomato sauce; break up tomatoes while
stirring. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring
occasionally, for about 1 hour.

Stir in beans.
Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes; stir occasionally.

Add stock if necessary or desired, depending on how thick the chili is getting and how thick you want it.

NOTE ON BEANS: if you are using
dried/bagged beans, they will need to be cooked separately ahead of time. Just follow the directions on the bag. They can be cooked up to a few days in
advance of making the chili.

FINAL NOTE: Now, if
you prefer, you can add canned diced tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, and
any other veggies that you enjoy in your chili.
This is a good time to use up any leftover veggies that you may need to
use up, but don’t have much of for any other recipe. You can also add other favorite spices as to
your taste, such as pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc. Honestly, I think my recipes are always a little
different because I’m always adding stuff depending on what
I have in the fridge.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

I've always loved fairies, dragons, wizards, knights, unicorns, the whole medieval/fantasy package, so this holiday is right up my alley. I just wish I could draw them. I've found some amazing artwork on the internet of fairies and such. Just Google it and see what I mean. There are just so many different depictions of fairies, that it boggles the mind. Good, bad, mischievous, holiday, daytime, nighttime, childlike, sexy, ugly, even anime... you name it, there's a fairy for it.

For those of you who also enjoy fairies and their stories, you should check out the information on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the two teenage girls who supposedly had actually photographed fairies in their own yard.

Of course, there's Tinkerbell, and as I've said before, I'm a huge Disney fan, so I can't possibly not post a pic of our favorite pixie.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

So, apparently, Norton/Semantec are having issues. I tried to get to this blog and I got a message that it's a fraudulent site... WTH?! I tried in Google Chrome and Internet Explorer and got the same thing, but Mozilla Firefox was fine and didn't have an issue with my blog. So, I called Norton to see if they could assist me and find out why. I was getting upset because I didn't want someone coming to my blog, thinking I was doing something wrong... and I told them that (once I finally got through to someone) and I told them that I'd cancel my subscription. Which I may do anyway, but the jury's still out on that one.

Meanwhile, as the horrible hold music played, I decided to do some research on my own and saw something about ebay having similar issues. Hmmm.... nothing else came up, though. About that time, someone came on the line and took some info, put me on hold, came back, got some more info, put me on hold.... this went on until she finally decided to give me a case # and transfer me to tech support. Great. I thought I'd called tech support, but apparently the tech support number is directly to Miss Twenty Questions who then transfers you if she deems you worthy.

Anywhoo... I then get a guy who asks me a few of the same questions that the first lady asked. One of which was if Norton was showing any viruses or issues. No, it was showing that everything was okie dokie. Then he says that ebay was also having some issues and had been for a while and for me to run the Live Update on my Norton 360 now while on the phone and then every day for 24 - 48 hours and then see if anything's better.

Great. 42 minutes of my life I'll never get back. At least they were honest about it, though, and actually admitted that they were having issues. Most everyone these days, are all trying to pass the buck.

I decided to then run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and with only the Quick Scan (which usually isn't very complete, usually I run the Full Scan to be sure I get everything, but decided I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to get results) and it found 60 problems! 60! Norton 360 that I spent good money on (about 60 bucks!) showed nothing! What the heck did I pay for?! A little yellow box on my computer screen is not worth what I paid when it doesn't do it's job.

Malwarebytes, which cost less than half the amount of Norton 360 (at about 25 bucks,) detected AND removed 60 issues! Granted, Malwarebytes doesn't sit there and scan on it's own on a constant basis. You have to manually run the scan yourself. But considering the Norton 360, which does constantly monitor (although I'm not sure what it monitors, exactly) didn't catch 60 bad little buggies, then why bother having it?!

Personally, I miss the days of BlackICE, but I don't think they're in business anymore. It's a shame, though. That was the BEST anti-everything product that I'd ever had! Supposedly, IBM bought it and promptly killed it, which is terrible, since it was the best out there. But back in the day, it was free and I suppose that's not good for business. Don't know why they wouldn't have continued it though... I'd have paid money for a reliable product. I've paid money for bad products, I'd rather throw my money after the good stuff for once, but alas, when something finally works, someone's got to come around and destroy it so no one can have it. Doesn't make sense to me, but that's unfortunately the way things are.

I tried to Google BlackICE, but got an eclectic assortment of sites, none of which were even remotely close to what I was looking for, with the one exception, which is the one where I got the alleged idea that IBM had killed it.

Be careful if you search for BlackICE. I came across everything from shoes to some, well, let's say erotic-like sites, and everything in between.... dog sledding (yes, really,) music, security services (as in security officers,) and of course, how to drive on black ice. And if you ever lived in a cold climate, this one would actually be useful.

Another Black Ice that I found that was even slightly interesting was for Black Ice, a polearm in World of Warcraft. But that doesn't help me here either. But I've got to put up a fun picture of something.

Anyway, at least, after all that jazz, I can actually get to my blog. Not sure for how long, but at least I'm here. So, if you run into a similar situation, and have Norton installed, run the stupid live updates, then get yourself a reliable program, like Malwarebytes, and run it as well, and then cross your fingers and toes.

I hope this was helpful to someone... anyone... or at least, amusing. Hopefully, after running my scans, my computer's all ok. We'll see. Hopefully, Norton get's it act straight and figures out what's wrong on their end as well. In the meantime, scan your computer regularly and stay safe while surfing the net.

Well, I was at a loss today of what to post... that is, until I came across this pic on Facebook from someecards.com. I think I want to get it on a mug!

OMGoodness, I feel completely redeemed now! I'm not the only one who feels this way! I'm sooo tired of ALWAYS having to share with Little Man... just for ONCE, I'd like to be able to eat a candy bar or bowl of ice cream (or anything, for that matter) without sharing! LOL I'll usually gobble my candy bar down when hubby's changing Little Man's diaper (our closets are too full o'crap for me to hide in!)

Had some pumpkin seeds today and refused to share (didn't think a two year old should eat those yet, come to think of it, I probably shouldn't have either, because of all the salt) and you'd think the world was ending! I think that was the most traumatic experience of his little life, to date! I mean, the face on that little guy! I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry with him, it was so pathetic. I actually tried to get a picture of his little face with the red eyes and the tears, but none of them did him or his tantrum justice.

So, does this make me a bad mother? No, but it sure feels like it! It's so hard to not spoil such an adorable child, and that's probably why his tantrum was so bad... because he's terribly spoiled. Here's a pic of him at his Big Bubby's birthday party, all dirty, playing outside... he's ALL boy!

May 2012

And here's another one... again, dirty, after playing outside in the mud. It had just rained and daddy took him out into the yard to explore.

Who could resist that face?! Not me... not daddy... not big bubby... which is why he's spoiled!

Speaking of "spoiled"... as I attached the pics above, I hear Little Man at the bedroom door, trying to get out. It's not closed all the way, just opened a crack, so I'm wondering why he's not just coming on out, like he does on so many occasions. Well, he had his Blanky and his "Piboh" (pillow) and with both in his little hands, he couldn't maneuver his way out of the bedroom. He just melts my heart. Never thought I could love someone as much as I love my son!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Yet another holiday that I can dedicate a post to my husband for... He used to skateboard a lot when he was younger. I tried, but had a very traumatic experience my very first time out and never went back. I didn't exactly live in an area where I was able to skateboard anyway, so the opportunity to "get back in the saddle" wasn't really ever there.

Anyway, this event takes place all around the world, there are scholarships, foundations, a blog, Instagram, Twitter, a Facebook page with updated local event areas marked on a map, etc. If you love to skateboard, you will definitely want to check this out!

Quiet time?! Pppfftttthhh, yeah, right... I can't even pee in peace anymore, since having kids... For some quiet time, I used to just go to my back yard... when I was single and my yard wasn't torn up from the dog(s) and hubby's hobbies (ie motorcycles, four wheelers, lawn mowers, and other miscellaneous crap) and I used to have nice green grass back there. Now I can't stand to look at it, let alone sit back there for any peace and quiet.

So... where do I go??? Well, if and when I can actually leave the chaos behind, here's where I try to go. (Or if I can't, here's where I fantasize about going...)

The Beach... I LOVE going to the beach, especially in the early morning. There's just something so peaceful about it. The sound of the waves rolling in, the coolness of the morning air (before it turns 2000 degrees here in Florida,) the smell of the ocean and the salt air.... *sigh*

Panera Bread... Ok, call me weird, but this has become one of my new favorite places. Yeah, yeah, I know it's been around for a while, but we just recently got one in our town and I'd never been to one before. Yes, I'm out of the loop, but whatever. I'm there now and that's what matters. Anyway, I just love this place. And it's not the food that brings me back... don't get me wrong, the food's great, but it's the atmosphere that gets me. Especially when it's not really busy. I love the soft music, the lighting, the seating, etc. It just makes me feel like I'm on vacation or something. Maybe because it's new to me, I don't know. But Panera Bread is one of my Get-Away's. I've already told my family that if I ever run away during one of my Mommy-Meltdowns, to look for me there first.

Yes, I realize that this is a video game and it doesn't actually exist, but if I can get hubby to take Little Man outside to play and I can get a few minutes of "No One Bother Me" time, then I stick my headphones on and play. It's great for when I can't leave the house, don't have time to leave the house, or am just plain lazy and just want to sit and relax and forget the world around me. I get "in-game" and enjoy a world where the Real World and all it's problems don't exist. Yes, I'm a gamer and I'm proud of it. Of course, the people I play with in-game don't realize I'm a 42 year old pregnant woman, but that's ok.

Now this wooded area would be nice. Back when I grew up in Pennsylvania, I used to go hiking in the woods for hours at a time. It was the most blissful time I've ever had in my life. I really miss being able to do that. But down here in Florida, there are too many poisonous bugs and creepy crawlies to be able to do that on a regular basis. Although, I'd gone hunting with a friend down here before and it was almost as good. Very nice, very peaceful, but there's just something about the cool mountain air that sets PA apart. Wish I'd have had a camera back then to take pics while hiking. There were so many great spots that would have made amazing photos.

5am... Ahhhh, my best chance of escaping for some quiet time. Puts a whole new meaning to "It's five o'clock somewhere!" for me, anyway. I come out to my recliner in the living room and do whatever it is that I want. Usually I get on the computer, but sometimes I'll read or crochet, write or sketch... anything that's a quiet activity. The rest of the house is asleep and I remain undisturbed for a little while... depending on when Little Man figures out that I'm out here. But sometimes, I can take him in to snuggle with Daddy and I'll squeeze maybe another hour out of the morning to myself.

So, there you have it. My escapes. I'm glad I did this writing prompt. It was actually quite peaceful just writing about it. Of course, I've been up writing about it in the wee hours of the morning, but it's made me feel refreshed. I wonder if I can sneak in a quick drive to the beach.....?

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Are you kidding me? It's been so hot for so long, summer's only now just beginning?! Of course, the pregnancy hormones haven't helped my temperature gauge at all, but still... here in Florida, we've been celebrating "summer" for a while now. People have been flocking to their pools, to the beach, etc. for weeks (dare I even say months) now. Of course, we didn't really have a "winter" this past year either. Not that we actually have winter, per say, but we usually get a few weeks of cold weather (and yes, it goes below freezing, hence the rise in prices of oranges and orange juice most years) in order to give us a nice mini break from the heat.

And let me tell you, after growing up in Pennsylvania, with the "dry cold" weather, the humidity of Florida makes the cold ten times worse! The only saving grace is that it's usually so brief, it's almost not worth mentioning. Except for the fact that this year we didn't get any of that. UGH, the mosquitoes are going to be horrendous this summer! They already are, actually. So, between the pregnancy heat hormones and the bugs, my lily white skin will stay very white this summer... yet again! No tan for this chick. Got plenty of those in my 20's and probably too many and too much, but I've made up for it by never going in the sun once I hit my mid to late 30's. After my divorce from my first husband, I hit the beaches for a while yet... but then the heat started getting to me and it just wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. Guess my body's chemistry changed too much. I still love the beach, I just don't go out when it's disgustingly hot.

So, anyway, enjoy your summer and if you missed it, check out my St. Augustine, FL Staycation and if you're not in or close to St. Augustine, check out the Staycation links for other areas around the United States for other great Staycation ideas.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Just for my hubby, who loves motorcycles, I'm posting about Ride to Work Day, today, Monday, June 18th.

It's the 3rd Monday in June, so the date always changes, but this year, 2012, it lands on June 18th.

It's the 21st Annual Ride to Work Day and is sponsored by a 501 c4 non-profit organization. Here are the reasons to ride that they have put out on cards that you can download:

I have ridden my motorcycle to work today because:✔ Riding to work is fun
✔ Riding to work reduces traffic and parking congestion
✔ Riding to work uses less fuel than an automobile
✔ Riding to work leaves me alert and energized
✔ Riding to work results in less pollution than commuting in
a larger vehicle
✔ Riding to work is less destructive to road surfaces, bridges, etc.
✔ Riding to work gets me to work (and back home) faster
✔ Riding to work demonstrates motorcycling as a social good
www.ridetowork.org

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Well, today was a very inspirational day for me. (sorry to post so late today, but at least I made it before midnight!) Between the talks at church, a memorial service we went to this evening, and a movie we just finished watching as our family home evening activity, I'm completely cried out for the dayweek rest of the month! It was just so overwhelmingly emotional on all aspects, from happy, to sad, to encouraging and enlightening. I'm not even sure I can put it all into words. But my faith has been strengthened today.

Just a little fyi, the movie we watched was Soul Surfer... none of us had actually seen it yet, so it was nice for the whole family to sit and watch something new to all of us. It was very enjoyable and Bethany, the main character (of course it was based on a true story) is such an inspiration. (And I don't care if the stupid critics didn't like the movie, I and my family, loved it.)

And with all the pregnancy hormones raging inside me and with all the fears of a mother being tossed and turned around in my psyche lately, I really needed all the enlightenment that I received today. I feel renewed and exhausted all at the same time. But it's all good and I'm certainly going to ponder on everything that happened and on everything that was said today. (Oh, and Happy Father's Day to my hubby and all the dads out there... see my post from Thurs. In Honor of Father's Day.)

On that note, I leave you with this....

"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Phillipians 4:13

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Well, today has almost completely gotten away from me and I hadn't set anything up for today's post. But as I was looking for something to blog about, I came across a really good quote that I dare say we all need reminding of once in a while. Especially when our days get so busy like today did for me. It's a quote from the president of our church, but it's a standard across the board whether you go to our church, or any church at all.

“Give your child a compliment and a hug; say, ‘I love you’ more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted … Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey and share our love with friends and family. One day, each of us will run out of tomorrows. Let us not put off what is most important.” - President Thomas S. Monson

Friday, June 15, 2012

Well, this day, June 15th, 2012 brings about quite a few little-known holidays... At least, I had never heard of them, until now.

Magna Carta Day June 15, 1215 (I should remember this from school, but if I'm being honest, history was never my forte)Nature Photography Day(my personal favorite, since I just LOVE nature photography)National Flip Flop Day (3rd Friday in June, so the actual date changes every year)
as well as a few others.

I'm going to concentrate my blog post on the Nature Photography Day, since it is my favorite. First thing to know is to head on over to NANPA.org's Facebook page and join up. Participate in the contest and enjoy the great fun of getting out into nature.

There's something about finding a beautiful flower or watching a gorgeous sunrise/sunset, or even finding a strange yet unique bug/critter of some sort to take a picture of.

Anyway, these pics above were taken a while ago. I'll be taking a fresh new picture for Nature Photography Day and posting it below, so be sure to come back and check it out. Hopefully the weather will be cooperative. We've had a LOT of rain lately. Feel free to post a comment with a link to your picture, I'd love to see what everyone comes up with!

UPDATE:

Ok, as I said, lots of rain. And this morning was no different. But I got a couple really cool pics from out in the backyard, despite the rain that was coming down.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

It's time for another Writing Prompt. This week, I've chosen the following prompt:

Father's Day is coming! Share something you've learned from your husband about parenting. What makes him good at what he does?

With my first child, he was always so calm and understanding. He'd already been through it with his first wife when she was pregnant with his oldest son, who is now my stepson, and a wonderful one at that. So, hubby was very good when I would be panicky and wondering if this symptom, or that one was "normal" or not.

Yet he was supportive if I felt the need to call the doctor and go in, "just in case" and he always went with me to every doctor's appointment.

He also was willing to go out and get whatever weird craving I was having... no matter what time of night or wee hours of the morning it was. He loved talking to the baby and giving my belly zerberts (and still does this time around.)

Buggaboo at one day old

Now with my second child, things are a little different. There's a lot more stress. We have a toddler who's almost two, I have gestational diabetes this time around, and my health isn't quite as good (and it wasn't that great the first time around,) and finances aren't quite as good either. So, the stress has taken it's toll on all of us this pregnancy.

But he's still a very loving father and husband. What have I learned from him on parenting? I think a few of the things that I've learned from my husband are:

I have no patience whatsoever and I really need to learn some (male "selective hearing" is a natural instinct that they are all born with!)

I need to worry less (yeah, right... like that's ever going to happen!)

Boys get dirty (no matter how careful I am, he and his clothes are a total mess, I don't know how anyone keeps their children's clothes nice)

Boys get hurt and fall... a LOT! And it's "ok" (I'm surprised he actually has any teeth left, thanks to the coffee table!)

Men cannot dress a child. You should have seen what he was going to let our child go out of the house in one day!

Well, there's probably more than what I've listed. We've both had to learn and grow together in many different areas, and it's been quite the roller coaster the past (almost) three years that we've been together. But no matter how rough things get, I'm glad he's the one I'm sharing all of this with because what makes him good at what he does is the love he has in his heart for me and our family.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Here's a cause that's very important, yet still not fully understood, nor widely accepted as a true disease. Yet millions suffer from it. I am one of them. Please help me to bring more awareness to something that is so misunderstood.

(copied from Facebook)

We
need your posts to win a grant for $2500 to print and distribute 10,000
fibromyalgia education brochures to support/advocacy groups. Please ask
your FB friends to help out for a great reason. The NFMCPA is an Allsup
Post for a Purpose (APP) recipient organization during May and June. At
http://www.facebook.com/allsupinc finish this statement: "I'm raising awareness of fibromyalgia by <you finish
the statement>." Allsup’s 2012 Post for a Purpose (APP) campaign
will award a $2500 grant to an organization that receives the most posts
in 60 days. You can help the NFMCPA by “liking” Allsup and posting
messages until June 30, 2012. We're competing against 11 other
illnesses--let's work together on this and WIN the prize to continue
educating about FM. Thanks! We appreciate all you to do help the
cause.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

I think I've found my favorite day of all days! June 12th, National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I am a huge peanut butter fan and any kind of dessert, cookie, cake, etc. that includes peanut butter is a winner with me. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my biggest downfall.

Recently, they've come out with Reese's Minis.

But I think my favorite out of all of the different sizes and flavors, is the Reese's Egg that comes out at Easter time.

There's just something about the flavor and texture of that one that is just divine! Mmmmmm, yummmm. *sigh* and now I want some, but it's the middle of the night and we're out of any candy. (insert sad pouty face)

Anyway, I digress.....

Did you know that there's a National Peanut Butter Board out there?! They've got all kinds of fun and weird facts. And let me just say, people will do just about anything to get recognition. Some guy named Tom Miller, pushed a peanut, using his nose, to the top of Pike's Peak. That's 14,000 feet! What the....??? Why would you do that?! Apparently, it took him just under 5 days to accomplish that. Actually, I think that's quite impressive, in a bizarre sort of way. I don't think I could make it to the top of any mountain in that amount of time unless I was driving it. But really, that image give my a crick in my neck just thinking of it.

But back to Peanut Butter and the cookie... I've had some amazing peanut butter cookies in my time and honestly, there is one that I've loved more than any. It's not really a cookie, though. You don't need to bake it. It's more of a peanut butter ball, than anything else. The recipe is quite simple:

Peanut Butter Balls1 Cup of peanut butter1 Cup of corn syrup (I use light Karo syrup)1 1/4 cups of powdered milk1 1/4 cups of powdered (confectioners) sugarDirections:Mix all together, roll into balls. At this point, you can roll each ball in some more powdered sugar to keep from sticking to each other, but that's optional.

I learned that in elementary school and never forgot it. Out of everything that I learned in school, that's the one thing that's stuck with me... Sheesh! No wonder I'm such a mess!

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Who Am I?

Well, if you really want to know, just read my "About Me" page. But in short, I'm a Mom who has a lot on her plate, who enjoys all the little things in life, who looks for the silver lining in daily catastrophes and who savors five minutes of uninterrupted quiet-time in a chaotic household. And in my spare time (yeah, right!) I enjoy photography, writing, art, gardening and gaming among many other hobbies that I never have time for.

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